Monday, 6 May 2013

Free Beer : Pure Evil

I've been sent this bottle of beer by the nice peeps at the Sebright Arms in Hackney. They sent me an invite to the beers launch but I was unable to attend due to a prior commitment....

When I told them I couldn't attend they instantly offered to send me a bottle so I could review it for them.

Well, I'm one who drinks and reviews so here goes.

Blurb

Pure Evil, Black IPA was 'Hand crafted by Redchurch Brewery in the Sebright Arms homebrew kit, using the finest malted barley and hops' (sic). So not the finest yeast and water then guys? -

Colour

It's a murky brown colour, lots of yeast in the bottle and I was pouring it carefully!

Aroma

Smells like a black IPA - I know I know you cant smell a colour! What I mean by that is the almost sickly sweet coloured malt mixed with hops aroma. It's quite distinct in my experience and not unpleasant - kinda chocolate and hops and before you ask, I'm not sure which hop type(s) were used and I'm not enough of a beer freak to give a shit.

Taste

So time to have a sip....

Really bitter, really boozy. No naked flames please!!! At 8% abv I thought it might be boozy but my already ruby cheeks are now glowing two sips in. It's so bitter I'm having trouble finding flavour in that bitterness, which is a shame because I really wanted it to be amazing.

Third sip and the hops are starting to come through and massage my palate a bit now but it's still really boozy as hell.

Secondary Aroma

I burp in the privacy of my lounge and the piney aromas hit my nostrils - it heightens and enhances my experience, very nice indeed. You may not agree but you ain't here!

The taste is starting to really hit my palate now and the sweetness of the dark malt is starting to find a way through the bitterness. I can taste tea, I find it odd but there's the fresh pine in there too as i burp again, there's plenty of condition on the bottle but the 'fizz' does strip back the gums somewhat.

Overall it's a nice beer. I couldn't have two in a row though just down to the bitterness. It's not 'Pure Evil' as it's name suggests but then I didn't have to buy it!